"Belle Fleur scented candles, custom blended with the most
seductive fragrances, are the essence of refinement and luxury.
Indulge your senses with the sublime bouquet of lush florals and
rare botanicals reminiscent of exotic gardens and faraway
places." ~ on box

I have a friend who loves buying me presents for my birthday and
Christmas and last year they purchased this candle for me. I was
completely blown away by the fragrance which permeated my
bedroom/office even when it wasn't burning. This year I told them
how much I loved this candle and they purchased it for me again.
The scent is so delicious it is difficult to describe.

The packaging claims this candle is scented with orange
blossom, pomegranate and cassis "with a tangy citrus
finish." To me the fragrance is a little similar to orange
butter. There is a warmth in the fragrance that overpowers the
citrus and yet there is still a hint of orange peel. I'd highly
recommend this as a gift for someone you love. This is one candle
I don't want to live without. I love it that much! To put it
mildly, this candle is INTOXICATING. :)

For years I have gazed at the Villa Balbainello painting in my
office imagining people wandering around inside the building and
never actually realizing this was a very famous location built
by Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini.

Looking out from the hotel, you can observe stunning views of
Lake Como. The two towers are actually the campanili of the
church. Looking up additional viewpoints of this location is
very satisfying. You can then see the villa from a variety of
angles. In the 1600s, a terrace was built to provide a view of
the holm-oaks, magnolias, cyclamen, azaleas and cypress trees.
Visitors can reach the gardens by boat from Sala Comacina.

This villa was once owned by Guido Monzino, who filled it with
artifacts from his expeditions. When he died in 1988, the villa
was left to the National Trust of Italy. Villa Balbianello is
famous for its terraced gardens, but now also famous as a
filming location for many movies including Star Wars: Episode II
Attack of the Clones, A Month by the Lake and Casino Royale.

I bought the painting because it looked restful and the solitary
boat rocking gently on the ripples creates a sense of peace.

"Alpha waves indicate an alert state with a quiet mind,
like a person who has completed a task and sits down to
rest." ~ pg. 15

The Brookstone "Tranquil Moments Sound Therapy System"
is a highly portable and soothing sleep aid. This will work on
four AA batteries, which means you can take it with you anywhere
or use the AC power adapter. You can also use this with
headphones although the rich omni-directional sound on this
system is excellent.

This sound system can be used for relaxation, sleep or renewal.
The technology used to create "Tranquil Moments" is
based on 23 years of research. Five digitally recorded nature
sound tracks (Ocean Surf, Rain, Thunder Storm, Summer Night,
Stream) and seven scientifically engineered sound programs
(Unwind, White Noise, Rejuvenate, Meditate, Celestial, Serenity,
Focus) help you to create soothing environments for your soul.

"Theta waves reflect a state of mind that is attuned to
intense creativity, visualization, imagination and problem
solving in a non-sleep state and emotional healing in the sleep
state." ~ pg. 14

Each acoustic experience can be enjoyed for as long as you like
or you can set the time for 30, 60 or 90 minutes. The sound will
then shut off automatically and this works well when using this
to fall asleep fast. When using the auto shutoff options, the
volume will gradually decrease during the last 10 minutes of the
selected program. To select the programs, there are three
buttons: Relax, Sleep, Renew. Each main section has four options
to enhance your experience. The volume controls are easy to use
and you can also change the brightness of the backlight on the
front panel.

"Delta waves are associated with the deepest levels of
physical relaxation. Delta is the rhythm of dreamless sleep and
its presence usually corresponds with physical rejuvenation and
healing."

Relax - You can choose from Ocean Surf, Thunderstorm, Serenity
and Unwind. Soothing musical instruments, ancient Indian
Tamboura, gentle rippling streams, thunder and rain on a remote
lake and relaxing Oceanside environments lead you to deep
relaxation. In Serenity, the sounds activate ALPHA brainwave
patterns to promote an enjoyable relaxation experience.

Sleep - The White Noise option sounds like the Niagra Falls! The
waterfall is great for masking unwanted background noises. The
Rain option is raindrop perfection and "Celestial"
takes you to faraway places where deep pulsations and string
instruments help to lead our mind into a DELTA-brainwave state.
This encourages sleep and the Summer Night also has sounds
recorded by NASA with calming nature environments.

I've wanted one of these for years and it seems Santa finally
got my letter! I also use this along with a Pearlessence Theara
Mist Air Therapy Fountain Mister
and when I listen to the thunderstorm, I put pine and fir
essential oils in the mist. You can create all sorts of moods
with aromatherapy and sound therapy. This unit is perfect as a
companion while reading, while falling asleep and can provide a
relaxing environment while traveling. A cup of tea (Celestial
Seasonings Sleepytime Extra) and some essential oils (Forces of
Nature Organic French Lavender is lovely) enhance the
experience. For even deeper sleep, I can also recommend Hylands
Calms tablets and "Essense of Vali," a blend of
essential oils you can buy as a mist or oil.

Since stress can damage more than your peace of mind, it is
worth looking into items that help you relax and renew. This
unit will help you fall asleep faster, but it will also help
your body heal and will give you the tools to move from the
harried pace of every day life to a tranquil escape where you
nurture body and soul.

Coby's 5" TFT DVD/MP3/CD Player also has an AM/FM Radio and
a TV Tuner, making this a highly portable personal entertainment
system. I bought this so my mom and I could watch DVDs while at
the hospital with my dad.

The unit is lightweight and the accessories even give you more
freedom. They include an AV Cable and DC Car Adapter, Stereo
Headphones, Full Function Remote Control, Lithium-Ion
Rechargeable Battery and a 100-240V UL Adapter.

The built-in anti-skip circuitry is especially effective even
while moving the player around and this will play DVD/MP3/CD/CD-R
and CD-RW.

I'd highly recommend a VHF/UHF/HD/FM Indoor TV Antenna if you
want to view TV shows. We also found we needed an F Jack Mini
Phone Plug Adapter.

While watching movies when you are near an outlet, you may want
to take out the battery. I found the little red battery symbol
kept flashing until I took out the battery. I assume it is
because I haven't fully charged the battery yet.

Mostly we have been using this to watch DVDs, but now that my
dad is home from the hospital, we have been watching the news
and listening to radio shows.

The 5" Color TFT Display is fine for viewing at a short
range, like while working on the computer and watching TV at the
same time or you might find this useful when you go camping or
while keeping someone company in the hospital (they don't all
have DVD players as we recently found out).

My entire family loves this Portable DVD/TV Player and it would
make a perfect gift for Christmas or any time of the year. One
of the nurses at the hospital said she is buying one too! This
is way more fun than just a portable DVD player because with all
the features and extras, you literally can take a
mini-entertainment system with you anyplace you wish!

The softness of these covers takes you to new levels of
comforting warmth. We put the duvet cover on the bed just when
the weather started to turn slightly colder. The preshrunk
cotton has been brushed to maximum softness unlike anything I've
ever felt in a sheet. The quality seems superior for the price.
Once you buy the comforter/duvet cover, you may find yourself
dreaming about pillowcases and sheets to match.

The Wamsutta Flannel sheets are velvety in a heavyweight flannel
that is brushed on both sides for comfort. You will adore the
soft cozy feel. Even my husband complains if I put any other
sheets on the bed. My cats think they are in heaven as they sink
their paws into the soft fabric and duvet. They normally won't
walk on other duvet covers, but this one really appeals to them.
I love the duvet covers because making the bed could not be
easier.

Essential oils of Cedar, Eucalyptus, Orange, Lavender and Pine
blend together in this laundry soap to create a rather healing
and nurturing laundry mood.

If you love the scent of pine, this takes the idea to
"mysterious pine and cedar forest surrounded by orange
trees and lavender."

Once you buy this, you may wish you had purchased two or more
containers because you will want to use this every day! I admit,
I am completely addicted to the scent of this product and it
makes my laundry super fresh and clean. The cleaning ability of
this laundry soap is superior to anything I can ever remember
trying. I think it is the essential oils that create a much more
cleansing experience.

The Caldrea products are soothing and make you look forward to
doing the laundry. Along with the softener; you will think you
are washing clothes outdoors in a forest.

If you love this fragrance, the powdered scrub and all-purpose
cleaner are excellent. You can put a little of the cleaner in a
spray bottle and it works on counters, floors, walls...just
about anything.

Essential oils of Cedar, Eucalyptus, Orange, Lavender and Pine
blend together to create an unforgettable forest mood. The
fabric softener goes nicely with the laundry soap and all the
Caldrea Lavender Pine cleaners are amazing and perfectly scented
for your cleaning day pleasure. If you love the scent of pine,
this takes the idea to "mysterious pine and cedar forest
surrounded by orange trees and lavender." I admit, I am
completely addicted to the scent of this product enhances the
laundry day experience.

This works well with the Lavender Pine Laundry Soap. The
cleaning ability of this laundry soap is superior to anything I
can ever remember trying. I think it is the essential oils that
create a much more cleansing experience.

The Caldrea products are soothing and make you look forward to
doing the laundry. Along with the softener; you will think you
are washing clothes outdoors in a forest.

If you love this fragrance, the powdered scrub and all-purpose
cleaner are excellent. You can put a little of the cleaner in a
spray bottle and it works on counters, floors, walls...just
about anything. I'd like to try other fragrances, but so far I'm
addicted to the Lavender Pine fragrance that seems to enhance my
fantasy of living in a forest.

Essential oils of Cedar, Eucalyptus, Orange, Lavender and
Pine blend together in this powdered scrub to create an
addictive cleaning experience. If you love the scent of pine,
this takes the idea to "mysterious pine and cedar forest
surrounded by orange trees and lavender." Once you buy
this, you may wish you had purchased four containers because you
will want to use this in the kitchen and bathroom and pretty
much on anything you need to clean, including walls, counters,
pots & pans, dishes, bathtubs and sinks. This is also
perfect for cleaning outdoor furniture. The Caldrea products are
soothing and make you look forward to cleaning. The laundry soap
is also one of the best I've ever tried and along with the
softener; you will think you are washing clothes outdoors in a
forest.

You may find yourself using this low suds fragrant
scrub all over the house, from the kitchen while cleaning pots
and pans to cleaning sinks and tubs. The warm, exotic scent of
patchouli is blended with green tea and non-abrasive powders to
make cleaning fun and effective. The ingredients include finely
ground non-abrasive sand (completely a powder), naturally
derived oxygen bleach, green tea fragrance and essential oil of
patchouli. Caldrea makes your house feel more like a home.

The beautiful box holding the cards is a treasure and
beautifully lined with the same design as the cards you first
see when you open the box. There are four sets of cards with
garden designs.

There are two sets with a creamy background and then red or blue
artwork detailing watering cans, chairs, sun dials, planters,
gardening tools and birdhouses. A cherry red card has a lovely
fabric design and a pastoral scene of gathering fruit.

This set of cards would be especially appreciated by your
gardening friends. I love the Scalamandre cards and especially
the collectible boxes they come in.

Columbia towels are especially luxurious to use and for a long
time I didn't use them because they looked so lovely and new
hanging in the bathroom. The color is especially pretty and
reminds me of a deep lavender, they call it Plumberry. The
weight of the towels is especially luxurious and they absorb
water so well, that the towel at times can still feel almost dry
after you use it. When the washcloths are completely drenched,
they do seem a little more heavy than most, although they have
that "spa feel" to them and they retain heat very
well, which makes them sort of comforting. I've tried many
towels and these are the most absorbent I've found. They are
made with 100% combed cotton and have a heavier feel. The edges
are sewn especially well with a nice fabric border so they don't
fall apart the first time you wash them.

The weight of this quilt feels like a homemade quilt made by
someone in your own family. The design is more modern with
stripes instead of squares and it is made with preshrunk cotton
and an all-cotton filling.

You don't have to take this to the drycleaner because it can be
washed at home. Although, you may notice that you wash this less
often because it remains wrinkle free and the pillowcases hold
their shape very well. Perfect for the couch or the bedroom. Use
with a duvet for added warmth.

Works well in the living room too...

The colors are much more vibrant and remind me of golden sea grass
rugs, lavender blossoms, bowls of cherries, and warm summer days
with blue skies.

If you are looking for a bed you can take with you camping in the
summer and to relatives homes any time of the year, this bed works
fairly well for short term use and is a quick and cheap solution. I
find the Coleman beds last quite a long time, even though you will
eventually find yourself on the floor due to the many problems that
can occur with placing an airbed on the floor. For one, sharp
objects will easily puncture the bed and this includes playful cats
tossing about toys near the bed or like my cat loves to do, pushing
a cat toy under the bed and retrieving it again.

I've lost two beds this way, but this can be solved by placing a
thick mattress cover over the bed. Sharp objects under the carpet
may also puncture the bed although this bed has an exclusive PVC and
the airtight system is guaranteed not to leak. I find that we
deflate this bed in the morning and inflate it again at night, so
this isn't really a problem, although after two days, you may notice
air has leaked out a little bit more than you expect.

The comfortsmart coil system helps the bed to conform to your body
for better support, which means you might like this bed better than
a regular mattress. In my short lifetime I've purchased quite a few
of these beds and more expensive doesn't mean more comfortable. To
be honest, this is more comfortable than the Aero beds with the
pillow top.

If the bed looses air, you might want to take a look at the
inflation instructions where it shows the internal seal and the
internal yellow post and how you can completely seal the valve in a
two-step process.

"Air temperature and weather do affect the air pressure in
inflatable products. In cold weather your airbed will lose some
pressure due to the fact that the air will contract."

So, to avoid this happening, we use a heating blanket on the bed.

One thing I will say about Coleman, they stand by
their warranty. With Aero, I found it difficult
to even return a bed or to find a return address
at their site.

Not only are these pillowcases super soft and cozy, they also
have much more style than a regular pillowcase. You can use
these as decorative pillowcases, no need to hide them under the
sheets. The cases didn't shrink when I washed them and they will
even handle extra fluffy pillows like feather pillows or
decorator pillows. I like that it is easy to put the pillow into
the case unlike most "less than enough" fabric
pillowcases you find on a regular basis. The secret to these
seems to be that they are preshrunk.

When I tried to take these sheets off the bed and wash them, my
husband complained that he didn't like the other pillowcases as
much. "They are so comfy and soft," he said. So, a day
later I had them washed and put back on the bed. They do take
slightly longer to dry and I ended up putting them back in the
dryer for a few minutes even when the dryer cycle was complete.

The softness takes you to new levels of comforting warmth. My
pillowcases came free with the duvet set, so that is also a
great option. Except, now we want more pillowcases.

We put these on the bed just when the weather started to turn
slightly colder. The preshrunk cotton has been brushed to
maximum softness unlike anything I've ever felt in a sheet. The
quality seems superior for the price.

The Wamsutta Flannel sheets are velvety in a heavyweight flannel
that is brushed on both sides for comfort. You will adore these
sheets. Even my husband complains if I put any other sheets on
the bed. My cats think they are in heaven as they sink their
paws into the soft fabric and duvet. They normally won't walk on
other comforter covers, but this
one really appeals to them.

After trying a few soy candles, I finally splurged and purchased
my first expensive soy candle. The Rose De Mai candle may seem
expensive, but when you consider how this candle will change
your entire mood and environment, suddenly you are happy to pay
whatever it costs to feel this good.

The essential oils in this candle create an inner rose garden.
If you have happy memories of walking through rose gardens, this
candle will recreate the experience inside your home or on your
deck or patio. Even when this candle is not lit, it releases a
heavenly rose fragrance throughout your home.

By blending 105 oils, including geranium, clove, jasmine and
sandalwood, Er'go candle has created a completely unique,
mysteriously spicy and sensuous fragrance candle. There are no
petroleum fillers or dilution oils. The fragrance blends are
clean and pure and are equal to a fine parfum. The boxes reflect
this idea and the color of the box for the Rose De Mai is a
luminous strawberry shimmer. I'm keeping the box because it is
so beautiful.

The natural soy wax (soybeans farmed in the USA) is clean
burning and healthier for you than other candles. The cotton
wicks stay lit and you should actually burn these candles for
about 3-5 hours at a time. After three hours, your entire house
should be scented with roses. They recommend trimming the wick
to 1/8" before lighting the candle.

My most sophisticated candle purchase and possibly the best find
on Amazon - Ever!

A 100 star item! Perfect for gifts that will never be forgotten.
Now I want to try every candle this company makes and definitely
have one Er'go candle in every room of the house.

All that was warm and quick, she loved too well-
A light, a flame, a heart against her own...
~Dorothy Parker

The Archipelago Botanicals Excursion Collection has a few exotic
candles that melt beautifully into pools of shimmering sensual
liquid wax. Of all the candles I'd choose for October, the
Ambiant tea light candles are perfect to set a rich romantic
tone. When they melt after a few minutes, the light dances on
completely melted wax as if a lone skater on a moonlit pond.
From above, the clear wax radiates with a ruby glow and from the
side, the color is dark flickering amber.

You may also want to buy these for Valentine's Day or Christmas.
They could be used for romantic or seasonal festive occasions. I
think my husband can definitely add these romantic candles to
the "Her Favorites List" in the Gentlemen, Start Her
Engine book by Steven Andrew Guerrero. For some reason, I think
he'd approve of these candles at a midnight picnic with
chocolate covered strawberries.

One candle can also be placed on a tiny silver, glass or copper
plate at the top of a Zen Rock Water Fountain.

"In time the Adirondacks became synonymous with
rugged living, fishing and hunting, other outdoor
activities and all sorts of rest and relaxation. It was
because of the great camps and rustic furniture that
Adirondack became a style until its own." ~Ralph
Kylloe

After a brief history with pictures, Ralph Kylloe delves
into the beauty of Adirondack design. There are magical
items in this book you may never see anywhere else like
the rustic and romantic bridge design, complete with
trolls.

The magical computer desk and chair look like something
out of a fairy tale. Contemporary boats rest in
luxurious boathouses and small guest houses are nestled
beneath the trees. Many lodges and camps are featured
and show the ingenuity of design. Chairs made with boat
paddles and artistic waterways flowing through wood
decks make this a very intriguing read. What is most
interesting is how the exterior is brought inside and
how artist envision one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture.

This book would be an inspiration to artists, architects
and designers interested in this classic style.

"Sun Valley is an oasis between desert and lava of
the Snake River Plain, an isolated haven and difficult
place to reach from just about anywhere. It is wedged
between surrounding peaks of Sawtooth, Smokey and
Boulder Ranges with a high desert climate."

For anyone living in Sun Valley, the history at the
beginning of the book will be of interest. Then, if you
have ever been skiing in Sun Valley, this has
interesting historical pictures. Golfing and fishing are
also of interest.

In regards to the beautiful architecture in this book,
you may notice the abundance of open space and walls of
windows. Living inside, you feel a sense of communion
with nature. Garden showers and retreat rooms are an
essential. Modern log cabin styles contrast with the
more traditional mystique of old-world adventure.

The homes do not seem overly opulent on every page.
There are some quaint pictures of decorating with quilts
and small porches with aging chairs. The retreat style
homes have a cozy country feel and there are even
pictures of restored trailers.

There is a gorgeous kitchen complete with rows of copper
pots and a huge island. Fireplaces, libraries, lush
gardens, modern art, fishing lodges and barns all mingle
nicely together. The picture of the kitchen in the
fishing lodge is amazing in detail. Now that is what I
call a sink on page 205.